Page 50 of The Scholar's Key
“Persephone!” came a call from within as the door opened, revealing her mother. “There you are. Where have you been? Our guests arrived over an hour ago!”
Her mother hadn’t even seen him. Percy gave him one more smile – a regretful one, perhaps? – before the door closed behind her.
Leaving Noah to wonder if that was the last he would ever see of her.
CHAPTER18
Percy knew she shouldn’t have left the house. Not after her parents’ request. But she hadn’t been able to resist the chance to see Noah and finish this quest they had begun together. She had hoped that she would feel relieved now that they had found their clue and returned the necklace, but instead, she was only more unsettled than ever before.
And the biggest reason for that was standing in front of her.
“Lord Stephen, it is lovely to see you,” she said, even though she wasn’t being entirely honest. When her mother had told her that Lord Stephen was calling, she had honestly hoped to miss the visit.
“And you, Lady Persephone.”
“Lady Percy is just fine,” she said, not enjoying how her full name sounded from his mouth. Somehow, it hadn’t sounded quite so vile when it had rolled off of Noah’s lips.
“Very well,” he said, his eyes lighting up, and she realized she had given him the wrong impression, for now, he thought she was inviting him to become much more familiar with her.
She looked around the drawing room, disconcerted when she realized that her father was there as well. Why were both her parents here, as well as Lord Stephen’s? Her stomach began to roil, and she tried to think of a way out of this. She knew she would have to be more forward in dismissing his suit — at least until she was sure — but to do it in front of both families would only bring disgrace upon both of them.
“Should we go for a walk?” she asked, clasping her hands together. “It is quite a lovely day. I was just outside myself and—”
“We have something we should like to discuss first,” her father interjected. “Perhaps you should sit down, Percy.”
Unfortunately, the only seat was the one beside Lord Stephen on the settee, and she sat but tried to keep her distance, even as he only seemed to draw closer toward her. Her skin crawled at the formality coating the room, and she wished with all her might she was anywhere but here – although if she had to choose, she would be with Noah. He was often silent, and contemplative, but there was no unease there. Only safety. He was… home.
“Lord Stephen and I had an excellent conversation earlier,” her father said, crossing one leg over the other, getting straight to the point. “He asked me if he could have your hand. I agreed.”
Time seemed to stand still as they all sat there, staring at her as disconcertingly as the wax figurines she had seen at Madame Tussaud’s. Finally, she realized that they were waiting for her to say something.
“My… hand?” she managed. The hand that was currently covered in a glove but wore a ring matching the one upon Noah’s. It seemed to connect them, even though it was only a material item.
“In marriage,” her father finished as though she might have misunderstood.
“I see,” she said, wishing with all her might that her father had discussed this with her without Lord Stephen and his parents present. She swung a glance over to her mother, who had promised that she would get a say in who she married, but her mother gave a nearly imperceptible shrug along with her pitying gaze. It seemed that she had not been able to stretch her father’s patience any longer.
“That is… most flattering,” she said, her voice nearly squeaking.
“It is, isn’t it?” her father said with a look that was obviously meant to convince her to accept. “I have told him and his father that we would be most interested in such a complimentary match. You have known one another for so long.”
Percy shifted back and forth on the sofa, as Lord Stephen leaned in. He really was handsome. He had a chiselled jaw, dark hair that swept over his brow in the most becoming fashion, dark eyes, and a figure that would have rivalled that of Hercules.
She thought back to what she and Noah had done together, how they had explored one another’s bodies, how he had made her feel as though the entire earth was shaking with his touch. She closed her eyes, trying to picture Lord Stephen’s face, his hands doing that to her instead – and she shuddered.
She didn’t realize that she had done so visibly until she looked around the room and saw her mother’s concern, her father’s anger, Lord and Lady Lecher’s confusion, and Lord Stephen’s annoyance.
She swallowed hard.
“You must understand that I am most appreciative of this offer, I truly am. It is such a life-changing decision, however, and I am wondering if I might have a few days to think on this?” Her father started to speak, and she laid a hand on his arm as she tried to placate him – and everyone else in the room. “Perhaps, in the meantime, Lord Stephen and I might spend some time together to get to know one another and see if we might suit?”
She smiled the smile that had always worked on her father. He was a hard man to most, but deep down, he had a weakness for her that he tried not to show to anyone else.
He frowned but looked over to Lord Lecher.
“Is that agreeable, Lecher?”
The viscount did not look particularly pleased, but as Percy’s father outranked him and he was likely most interested in his family acquiring her sizeable dowry, he nodded woodenly. “Very well.”
